Getting Started with Nuxt 3

Nuxt 3 represents a complete rewrite of the framework with a focus on performance, developer experience, and modern web standards. In this guide, we'll walk through everything you need to know to start building applications with Nuxt 3.

Why Choose Nuxt 3?

Nuxt 3 brings several significant improvements over its predecessor:

• Lighter: The core framework is now 75% lighter
• Faster: Improved HMR (Hot Module Replacement) and build times
• Hybrid Rendering: Choose between SSR, SSG, or CSR per route
• TypeScript: Built from the ground up with TypeScript
• Composition API: Full support for Vue 3's Composition API
• Nitro Engine: Powerful new server engine with cross-platform support

Setting Up Your First Project

Getting started with Nuxt 3 is straightforward. Open your terminal and run:

npx nuxi init my-nuxt-app
cd my-nuxt-app
npm install
npm run dev

This will create a new Nuxt 3 project with all the essential configurations in place.

Key Features to Explore

1. File-Based Routing

Nuxt 3 continues its convention-over-configuration approach with file-based routing. Simply create files in your pages directory:

// pages/index.vue
<template>
  <div>
    <h1>Welcome to My Nuxt App</h1>
  </div>
</template>

2. Auto-Imports

One of the most convenient features is auto-imports. Nuxt automatically imports:

• Components from /components
• Composables from /composables
• Vue APIs
• Nuxt helpers

3. Server Routes

Creating API endpoints is as simple as adding files to the server/api directory:

// server/api/hello.ts
export default defineEventHandler((event) => {
  return {
    message: 'Hello, Nuxt!',
  }
})

Best Practices

When building with Nuxt 3, keep these best practices in mind:

1. Use TypeScript: Even if you're not writing TypeScript, the type hints in your IDE are invaluable
2. Leverage Auto-Imports: Don't manually import what Nuxt can import for you
3. Implement SEO Early: Use the useHead composable for meta tags
4. Optimize Images: Use Nuxt Image for automatic optimization
5. Follow the Directory Structure: Stick to Nuxt's conventions for better maintainability

Conclusion

Nuxt 3 provides an excellent foundation for building modern web applications. Its combination of developer experience, performance, and flexibility makes it a top choice for Vue developers.

Stay tuned for more in-depth guides on specific Nuxt 3 features!